Monday, November 07, 2016

Substantial weight gain over many years increases the risk of obesity-related cancers in men by 50 per cent and in women by almost 20 per cent, according to new research* presented at the National Cancer Research Institute's (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool, today (Monday).

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Some people gained a little weight between the ages of 18 and 65 years, while others became morbidly obese. The population was then followed up for an average of 15 years to see who went on to develop obesity-related cancers.

It found that men who went from a BMI of around 22 to 27*** had a 50 per cent increased risk of developing obesity-related cancer compared to a man who stayed within a healthy weight range. And in men who went from being overweight to morbidly obese, the risk went up by 53 per cent compared to the same group.

Women who went from a BMI of 23 to around 32, had a 17 per cent increased risk in comparison to women whose weight started off in the healthy bracket and remained stable.

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Being overweight or obese is the second biggest preventable cause of cancer in the UK after smoking and contributes to around 18,100**** cases of cancer every year. It is linked to a range of cancer types including bowel, breast, and pancreatic.

Several of the obesity-related cancer types can only affect women - for example, womb cancer and ovarian cancer. Dr Hannah Lennon, lead author and researcher at The University of Manchester, said: "This research shows how important it is to look at weight gain over a person's lifetime - to give a clearer picture of cancer risk through life compared to assessing someone's BMI at a single point.

•••••

Being overweight or obese is the second biggest preventable cause of cancer in the UK after smoking and contributes to around 18,100**** cases of cancer every year. It is linked to a range of cancer types including bowel, breast, and pancreatic.

Several of the obesity-related cancer types can only affect women - for example, womb cancer and ovarian cancer. Dr Hannah Lennon, lead author and researcher at The University of Manchester, said: "This research shows how important it is to look at weight gain over a person's lifetime - to give a clearer picture of cancer risk through life compared to assessing someone's BMI at a single point.